How the Process Ends

What happens after I receive a CRT decision?

Your options after you receive your CRT tribunal decision will depend on whether you have a strata dispute or a small claims dispute. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree with the CRT decision.

FAQs

Strata
Under the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act, section 57, a CRT order may be enforced by filing it in the BC Supreme Court.

Under the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act, section 58, If a CRT order is for financial compensation or the return of personal property and the principal amount payable or the value of the personal property is less than the Provincial Court’s monetary limit for small claims ($35,000), the order can be filed in the Provincial Court for enforcement.

You will need to have a validated copy of the order. This will be sent to you along with the CRT’s written decision. If you do not have a validated copy of the order, contact your facilitator directly. If you need to get in touch with the CRT, visit the contact us page.

You can only file a CRT strata order with either court if one of the following applies:

It is an approved draft consent resolution order.

The time for appeal to the BC Supreme Court has expired. The time for appeal is 28 days after a party is given notice of a final decision of the CRT.

Leave to appeal is denied.

The appeal is heard and the BC Supreme Court confirms the decision of the Tribunal.

If an appeal is heard, and the BC Supreme Court amends the decision of the Tribunal, the decision of the Tribunal as amended may be enforced by filing, in the BC Supreme Court, a validated copy of the order of the Tribunal and the order of the BC Supreme Court.

When you file a CRT order with a court, the order has the same force and effect as if it were a judgment of that court. Whether you file your order in Supreme Court or Provincial Court, the enforcement procedures are in the court’s jurisdiction. For information on Supreme Court, please visit the BC Supreme Court Guidebook on Enforcing Court Orders. For information on provincial court, please visit the BC Provincial Court website.

Small Claims
Under the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act, section 58.1, a CRT order may be enforced by filing it in the BC Provincial Court. You can do this if your order is either a consent resolution order, or a final decision. You will need to provide the BC Provincial Court with a validated copy of the order. A validated copy of your CRT order will have been sent to you with the CRT decision. If you don’t have a validated copy of your order, please contact your case manager. If you need to get in touch with the CRT, please visit the contact page.

The CRT will not provide you with a validated small claims order until the time limit for making a Notice of Objection has expired. Once you receive your small claims order, you can file it immediately.

When you file a CRT order with the BC Provincial Court, it has the same force and effect as if it were a judgment of the BC Provincial Court. The enforcement procedures are within the Court’s jurisdiction. For information, please visit the BC Provincial Court website.

Strata
If you don’t agree with a CRT strata decision, you can ask the BC Supreme Court for permission (called leave) to appeal the decision. For more information about making a Supreme Court of BC application, see the Supreme Court of BC Online Help Guide.

Small Claims
If you disagree with the CRT’s final decision on a small claims matter, including a default decision, you can pay a fee and file a Notice of Objection with the CRT. The Notice of Objection must be filed within 28 days after a party receives a CRT decision. The CRT cannot issue an order in a small claims dispute until the deadline for filing a Notice of Objection expires.

If a Notice of Objection is filed, the CRT decision is not enforceable. If any party wants to continue any of the claims that were included in the dispute, that party must file a Notice of CRT Claim in the BC Provincial Court. The CRT will provide a Certificate of Completion to all the parties. The Certificate of Completion must be included with the Notice of CRT Claim, or the Provincial Court registry will not accept it.

Here are some things about the Notice of CRT Claim process that you should know:

It’s like an appeal and you will get a new process with the BC Provincial Court, including a settlement conference or pre-trial conference and a trial

The Small Claims Rules specify which Provincial Court registry the Notice of CRT Claim must be filed in

Once filed, the filing party must serve the Notice of CRT Claim on the other parties

The Provincial Court may order a party to pay a deposit for some or all of the amount of the CRT decision

If the person who filed the Notice of Objection does not have a better outcome in the BC Provincial Court than in the CRT’s decision, the BC Provincial Court may order that party to pay a penalty to the other party